Thank you PsychoSensei for the help editing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A woman lain facing the ceiling, her chest slowly rose up and down as she let herself be held too the dark embrace of sleep. Painful memories rolled through her mind of a night she had tried so hard for so long to forget, to move on from. Her body felt paralyzed, cold with sweat as her dreams became more intense, more vivid, and much more terrifying.

"Blake? Blake! Where are you? Please come out I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." A feminine voice broke in her head, one so familiar it was indistinguishable from a person she knew.

A door to a bedroom flew open as a figure walked in—a woman with golden blonde hair and soft lilac eyes which were filled with worry and regret. The woman came to realize that she was dreaming of herself.

"Blake please!"

She moved about the room, looking around frantically. She looked out the window and spotted Blake running down the way. Turning around she left the room rushing after her.

"Blake! Wait, please." She shouted as she ran after the quickly disappearing image. Rounding a corner it seemed as though Blake had vanished into thin air.

"Dammit dammit dammit."

The scenery began to change, the woman was moving on to another place. Another memory. The environment around her now resembled some kind of docking area, one really high up in the air.

Continuing to the air docks she soon spotted Blake nearing an airship. Running to catch up, it soon became apparent that Blake was not alone as another figure emerged from the grounded ship. Walking up to Blake the new person hugged her before pulling her in for a kiss.

"Blake!" Turning to the shout of her name Blake looked over to the docks edge. Standing there panting from running after her was her partner. Sneering as she looked at her she turned to get on the ship. "I'm sorry Blake! Please...come back."

Turning to face her once best friend, her partner, her love, she yelled."It is too late for apologies!"

Stepping backwards into the ship she held on as the engines started. "Live with your decision or don't. I don't care now, goodbye."

That was the last she heard Blake speak as the door closed and the ship took off, leaving her by herself at the empty dock she dropped to her knees.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yang jolted up and scanned the room as cold sweat flowed down her face and her heart raced. The room was quiet except for the soft snores of her sister in the other bed. It has been over a year since she had that nightmare. Quietly removing the covers she hopped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, the wood floor creaked under each step as she passed her sister.

Stopping to look at her she noticed how harsh the real world had been on Ruby. Her once clean and porcelain skin now riddled with small scars and cuts. Her red hair seemed dimmer and she had long since let it grow out. Her cape hung on the chair next to her bed. Ruby treasured that cape above all else. Now it sits tattered and cut with many stitches, stories of survival etched within its fabric.

Opening the door to the bathroom she turned the sink on and splashed her face with cold water. Looking back into the mirror she rubbed her eyes as she wiped away the sleepiness. Her face held the look of a huntress who had been to the edge of hell and back. She was only twenty three but time was unkind. Rubbing her shoulder she loosened the muscles that carried some extra weight. Working her way down she finally got to the brass piece attached to her arm. Feeling over the rivets and metal she sighed to herself as she stepped back.

Opening the door she tip toed back to her bed and sat down. Just as before she quietly put her covers back on before rolling over to get some more sleep.

"Yang? Did you have the dream again?" Ruby had awoke, even through her early morning fatigue Yang was reminded that her sister's voice wasn't as high and youthful as it had been six years ago, it had deepened, matured to one much more mellow and soft. She sounded like a completely different person.

Cursing to herself, Yang rolled over and faced her sister who was now awake and staring intently at her, for once she wished her sister was still as heavy a sleeper as she was back at Beacon. Rolling onto her back Yang stared at the ceiling of the room. "Yeah...I did."

Ruby sat up to get out of bed but was stopped by her older sister looking at her. "Don't Ruby...this is something I need to work out on my own."

Lowering her covers, Ruby laid her head back down on her pillow. Rolling over to face the wall she closed her eyes and whispered to herself. "You don't have to do it alone."

xxxxxxxxxxx

The sun shone bright through the window as Ruby was the first to awaken, her sister still asleep despite last night's nightmare. Hopping out of bed she made her way to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead. Unknown to Yang, she had taken another solo mission outside the Kingdom of Vale. It was nothing big, just clearing out a few packs of Beowolves targeting small settlements.

Once out of the shower and dressed she grabbed her cloak and headed to the door.

"You took another mission didn't you?" Stopping right as she was about to turn the doorknob she looked back at her older sister.

Sitting in the bed her face a mixture of anger and worry but most notably, sadness. Ruby had been going on solo missions for a while now—actually a while was an understatement, she had started doing them the day her team fell apart. That was almost six years ago. "Yang it's not as dangerous this time, I promise you. I'm just clearing out a few Beowolves that are near some settlements. I should be back within a week or two."

There was nothing she could do to stop her from going, and Yang knew this. Hell, she doesn't blame her for wanting to do it. Every day is a battle, not against a physical enemy, but their own minds. Running her hand through her hair, Yang finally relented. "Just come back to me in one piece...please." She got up, walked over and gave her a hug. After a moment of heartache, Ruby finally walked out of the room.

Yang was now left alone with her thoughts again, she needed to do something to keep her mind clear of any and all thoughts for a while. Getting dressed as fast as she could, she headed to the local call center. Once there she immediately headed to the newest bulletin board to see if anything new had come up. Most of the missions called for full teams which did not fit her criteria. Soon her eyes landed on a solo mission for clearing out some Ursa dens not too far into Forever Fall.

"Well, it's better than nothing." She said as she punched the button claiming the mission. Walking out of the building she looked to the sky and the white clouds overhead. Out there in the world were two people; One she will never forgive. The other lost to the biggest regret of her life. Closing her eyes she shook the thoughts from her head as she got on her bike. As she left town something caught her eye, a certain white and blue logo on the side of a car parked outside the hotel. Sneering she continued onward to her mission.

Yang narrowed her eyes into a burning glare, they glowed crimson channeling her anger. 'She is fucking dead when I get back.'